Dedicated to the proposition that intellectual acuity is not a prerequisite to political discourse

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

We Cannot Tolerate a President Who Refuses to Accept Responsiblity for Failures in His Administration

Remember the sign that sat on Harry Truman’s desk, the
famous “The buck stops here?”

Apparently, that sense of presidential accountability is completely lost on our current commander-in-chief.While he’ll take credit for killing Osama Bin
Laden, he completely disavows any knowledge that our embassies were at risk –
nor does he accept any responsibility
for the deficient security of them – despite the fact that the attacks came from the
same terrorist forces inspired by Bin Laden.

Instead, he lets/forces his secretary of state – and her
alone – to take the fall for what has come to be an increasingly shameless, disingenuous
and disgusting attempt to deflect responsibility.Try as he may to hide behind Hillary’s skirt
(or pant suit, as the case may be), the simple fact is that the terrorist
attack on the Benghazi consulate was not just a State Department matter. Yes, the
security of consulates are primarily the responsibility of the secretary of state,
but the assassination and the events leading up to it involve policies far
broader than just the number of Marines at the front door to a consulate.Indeed, the Benghazi assassination is a
reflection of a failure in core national security issues, including
intelligence and counterterrorism -- all of which the president should have
clear and direct responsibility and involvement. On that count, there is no question that the
president has failed the American people.

In stark contrast to
Obama’s "we didn't know" position stands a statement from another president who
did take personal responsibility for missteps in his administration regardless of his personal knowledge.

First, let me say
I take full responsibility for my own actions and for those of my
Administration.

As angry as I may
be about activities undertaken without my knowledge, I am still accountable for
those activities.

As disappointed as
I may be in some who served me, I am still the one who must answer to the
American people for this behavior.

And as personally
distasteful as I find secret bank accounts and diverted funds, as the Navy
would say, this happened on my watch.